LITTLE HATCHLING

copyright 2015, Joy Acey

Oh, look!
What do I see?
I've hatched my egg.
A little me.

He may not be
a perfect match.
I'll always love him
My Little Hatch.


    A mama bird creates little hatchlings.  I created a picture to go with this poem.  What is something you have created?  A fort, cookies, a card for a friend?  Can you write a poem today about something you have created?

I can create many things.  It just takes time and patience.

TIME

copyright 2015, Joy Acey

Where does time go?
How does it fly?
I thought it was yesterday
but a month
has gone by.

     Yes, how does time fly?  Have you been having a busy month?  Can you believe it is almost October?  I spent the weekend in Las Vegas at the Andalusian World Cup horse show.  I got to see hundreds of gorgeous horses perform, and I learned a lot about the horses' different gaits.  I had a great time, but I didn't work on my poetry while I was gone, so I owe you many poems for this month.  Have you been working on your writing?  Can you write a poem today about something you've done this month?  Did you watch the lunar eclipse last night?  Enjoy your writing.

   Love is the most powerful force in the universe.  I am blessed every time I show myself and others love.

LOVE POEM

I don't know why
a caterpillar turns
into a butterfly.

Or why the black comma
of a polliwog
turns into a frog.

All I know
is beauty can come, unexpectedly,
from the most unusual places
like love.

Which is why
I'm writing
this poem
for you. 

   I don't know why, but love poems are hard for me to write.  If I set out to write one, I always feel like I'm blocked.  So many poems have been written about love, that it is hard for me to find something new to write about, or maybe it is just hard for me to expose my feelings.  I don't know.  All I know is when poetry contests have a category for "love poems," I always pass and skip to the next category.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem about all the things you love.  I doesn't have to rhyme.  Try to use all of your senses in the list.  Do you like school, or summer vacation?  What is about vacation that you love?  Have fun making your list.  If you'd like to share, leave your list in the comments below.  Just remember this is a site intended for children and I will censor anything I deem inappropriate for children under 13 years of age.

Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better.  Robert Frost, "Birches," 1916.

I LOVE

I love
sugary cotton candy
   spun into a pink cloud,
writing children's poetry
   to be whispered aloud.

watching yellow butterflies
   as they flit flying by
comforting a baby
   when she's starting to cry.

grass on summer mornings
   glistening in dew,
and the feeling I get
   when I think of you. 

This is a list poem.  Can you try writing your own list poem today?  It doesn't have to rhyme.  Just start by writing a list--things you love or hate, books you've read, movies you've seen, places you've visited, foods you like, etc. Then try to shape your list into a poem.  Have fun.  Happy Sunday.

Just like there are all kinds of people, there are all kinds of poems.  Each one is special.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Mom,
Here's a love letter
I've written for you
to honor,
respect
and cherish you.

I want you to know
I love all you do
and I will ever
echo THANK YOU.


  I've got a different challenge for you today.  Can you write a LOVE LETTER to yourself telling about all the things you like and want for yourself?  Have fun writing.
   When my mom was alive, every year on Mothers Day I would receive a letter from her thanking me for making her a mom.  She definitely had an attitude of gratitude.  What are you grateful for?

HAPPY POEM ON YOUR PILLOW DAY

May 5th is a busy day for celebrating.

In Hawaii and Japan, Boys' Day is celebrated on May 5th. Families fly kites, colorful painted carps, from their houses to show a boy lives there to be honored. I've written a poem for this holiday and previously posted it HERE.     http://poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com/2013/05/happy-may-5th-boys-day.html

In the Southwest, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with fiestas and great food today. I've posted an acrostic HERE and a free verse poem HERE ,
and another poem HERE all about Cinco de Mayo.

But, Poem on Your Pillow Day is a new holiday for me.  I can not think of having a pillow poem without thinking of TANKA.  Japanese women would write tanka to put on the pillows of their lovers.  Later women convinced their sponsors to pay to have the poems collected into booklets.  These early booklets were some of the first poetry books published by women poets.  So, here is a tanka for today.

Twenty baby quail
scurry and scatter, running
under their mothers
breasts offering protection
soothing comfort, feathered love

   A tanka is a syllabric poem made up of 5 lines.
Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 7 syllables
Line 3 = 5 syllables
Line 4 = 7 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables

  It is like a haiku with two extra 7 syllable lines.

  Can you try writing a poem to leave on someone's pillow today?  Have fun writing.

YOUNG CARDINAL SINGS

If I could raise
my song high in the sky
my song would be for love:

But alas, my song
has too heavy notes
too full of all my woes.


    Do you like to listen to the bird songs?  Can you write a poem today about songs or singing?  Or perhaps you'd like to write about a bird you know.  David Elliott has a lovely picture book filled with poems about birds.  On the Wing is illustrated by Becca Stadtlander, published by Candlewick Press.  There is a video here of several of the poems.

1,000 blog posts

Softly,
listen to the quiet.
Gently,
listen to the still.
Can you hear
the heartbeat?
Can you feel
the miracle?
Open yourself
to joy.
Open yourself
to love.
Live the life
you are meant to live.
Be the answer
to another's question.


     Today has been a difficult day for me with my writing.  I've written everything else but today's poem and I even know the reason--nothing was good enough.  Today marks the 1,000th post on this blog.  I've posted a poem every day for then last 1,000 days.  I've explored all sorts of poetry forms from acrostics to villanelles with you.  I supplied original art work or photographs to go with some of the poems.  And on most days, I've supplied a poetry prompt to go with the poems.  You have responded positively and I have had over 105,000 visitors to my blog.  You are the miracle that keeps me writing.  Thank you.
    I was reading a comment from YA author Angela Morrison today and she stated, "Readers are miracles...."  YES!  You are a miracle to me.  I hope you have a fantastic New Year's Eve.
   Thank you for being here to cheer me on.

PUPPY LOVE

My neighbor's dogs
all furry puff balls
run and leap
with joy
when they see me.
Their greeting
a quick dance
filled with sunshine.
Who could not
feel love
to be greeted so?
They lift my spirits
to soar
like the hawks
circling above.

   Do you have a dog?  Do your neighbors?  What dogs do you know?  Is there a dog in the book you are reading?  Can you write a poem today about a dog or cat.  This is a free verse poem.  Can you write a poem today about a dog, or even a cat that you have met?  Think about using your five senses to describe the animal.  Have fun writing.

TRIOLET based on a Natalie Goldberg Quote

Follow what you love.
It will take you where you need to go.
Notice every mourning dove
To follow what you love.
Look to the stars above
To show you what they know.
Follow what you love.
It will take you where you need to go.



     I'm working with another form this week--the Triolet, a French form.  (Pronounced TREE-o-lay) This is an 8 line form with two end rhymes.
The first line is repeated again in the fourth and seventh lines.  Then all you need is two other lines --the third and fifth--to rhyme with the end word of the first line.
     The second line is repeated as the eighth line, and line six needs to rhyme with this.
      So if I made a chart for the triolet, it would look like this:

     Line 1.     A1
     Line 2.     B1
     Line 3.     A
     Line 4.     A1
     Line 5.     A
     Line 6.     B
     Line 7.     A1
     Line 8.     B1


     With all the repetition, this is a fairly easy poem to write.  My problem is always finding the right first two lines.  So, I took a quotation from Natalie Goldberg,  "Follow what you love, and it will take you where you need to go."


     Just for fun, let me see if I can do this again with another quotation, this time from Mother Teresa.

It is not how much we do,
But how much love we put into doing.
Everything we work through,
It is not how much we do
That creates a life that's true.
Work is not what keeps us going
It is not how much we do,
But how much love we put into doing.

    Hmmm, I think that one is a success too.  Both of these quotes came from a deck of cards SWEET DREAMS: 36 Bedtime Wishes by Cooper Edens and Sheryl Abrams, published by Chronicle Books.  These cards are designed to be left on a child's pillow at bed time.

   Your challenge this week is to try writing your own triolet.  You are welcome to leave your poem in the comments.  Have fun trying this form.

    Poetry Friday is hosted by  TeacherDance this week.  Linda, thank you for hosting.

    As an extra bonus you might like to try writing a Valentine for your favorite book character.  See yesterday's Valentine post.

Christmas Star

Mama Bear
asked her
sweet little cub,
"What would you like
for Christmas, Dear?"

Little Bear thought
in deep silence
and finally said,
"Mama, I want 
a star."

Mama Bear
looked both
near and far,
but she couldn't find
Little Bear's star.

So she made
sugar cookies
shaped like a star
and sprinkled
sugar glitter.

Then she said
to Little Bear,
"There you are."

"These cookies
are very sweet,
but they're something 
to eat.  They aren't 
the star I was after. "

Perplexed, 
Mama Bear
picked up her knitting
and had inspiration.
She stitched in stars
on her creation.

"These stars
are cuddly warm,
but a sweater is 
something to wear.
It isn't a star 
that floats 
in the air."

"Your star wish will be 
the death of me, "
said Mama Bear
most fretfully.

Which is why,
if you look 
in the sky
this very night
you'll see
Mama Bear and
her little cub
drifting on air 
high above,
shining as stars
radiating love.
Ursa Major
and Ursa Minor
ladling Christmas cheer.


     This poem (oh, I hesitate to call it that) needs lots of work.  Let's just call this one a draft.  I've got the basic outline of what I want to do with it. But that's the way it rolls on some days.  It is a good idea.
    Part of this came from the fact that last night was a new moon and it was supposed to be the best night for viewing the geminaids astrological shower, except we had rain and a total cloud cover so if the stars were out there doing their thing, I certainly couldn't see it.  So, to cheer me up, your challenge for today is to write a poem about stars.  If you don't like that challenge, write something, anything.  Have a great weekend.

Poetry Friday: Today's Roundup is at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Enjoy!